Discovery Channel's Shark Week is one of the network's most hyped weeks of the year, and this year was no different. The headlines read: 'Phelps vs. Shark,' advertising a race between the Olympian and a Great White in promos and on social media.

Laurie Goldberg , Group EVP of PR for Discovery, Animal Planet and Science, released the following statement: "In PHELPS VS SHARK we enlisted world class scientists to take up the challenge of making the world's greatest swimmer competitive with a Great White. The show took smart science and technology to make the challenge more accessible and fun. All the promotion, interviews and the program itself made clear that the challenge wasn't a side by side race. During Michael’s pre-show promotion, as well as within the first 2 minutes of PHELPS VS SHARK, this message was clear and we are thrilled with the audience and the engagement around the world." ​